Lap doffing apparatus



April 12, 1966 J. QUINN LAP DOFFING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 16, 1963 INVENTOR. J OHNNY QUINN Attorney April 12, 1966 J. QUINNLAP'DOFFING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheef 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1963 INVENTOR.JOHNNY ounv/v BY Attorney April 12, 1966 J. QUINN 3,245,625

LAP DOFFING APPARATUS Filed'Dec. 16, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.JOHNN Y QUINN Attorney April 12, 1966 J. QUINN 3,245,625

LAP DOFFING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 16, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. (L)Q JOHNNY ouuwv BY Fig. 59 Attorney United States Patent 3,245,625 LAPDOFFING APPARATUS Johnny Quinn, 522 Woodland Way, Greenville, S.C. FiledDec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 330,770 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-551) This inventionrelates to a lap dofiing apparatus in which a full lap is removed insuch a manner that the flap is parted through movement of the full lapwithout the necessity of speeding up the lap rolls or stopping the feedthereto or otherwise holding the lap.

cannot be run when using such automatic dofi'ing apparatus. The clutchesand various parts ofsuch mechanisms are difiicult to maintain, resultingin high maintenance cost.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide animproved lap doffing apparatus in which the lap is parted or severedwithout the formation of creases and thick and thin places characterizedby former devices.

. Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic lap doffingapparatus which will be capable of operating without the use ofexpensive and complicated parts which are diflicult to maintain.

Another object of the present invention is to :provide a lap doffingapparatus which may be applied to existing pickers without the necessityof extensive modification. .Still anotherobject of the invention is toprovide a lap dofling apparatus in which an empty lap pin is rolled intoposition upon the lap rolls just after dotting the full The constructiondesigned to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described,together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference 1 to the accompanyingdrawings'forming a ,part thereof,

wherein an example of the invention is shown and where- FIGURE 1islaiperspective view illustrating a lap idoffing mechanism constructedin accordance with the present invention installed upon apicker,

FIGURE 2 is a schematic side elevation illustrating the finisher sectionof a picker,

FIGURE 3 is a schematic elevation illustrating the dotting mechanism inpositionto begin a lap-dotting operation,

, FIGURE 4 is a schematic elevation illustrating the positioning of theparts during. an intermediate step in the dotting operation,

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged perspective view looking from the rearright-hand side of FIGURE 1 illustrating the parts in normal operatingposition,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view illustrating the pin .stick batterymechanism for storing lap sticks preparatory to placing same within thelap pin,

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged plan view taken on the line 9-4) in FIGURE 8, I

3,245,625 Patented Apr. 12, was

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FIGURE 10 is a schematic electrical diagram illustrating the variouselectrical components of the device, and

FIGURE 11 is a schematic pneumatic diagram illustrating the variouspneumatic devices of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, apparatus constructed inaccordance with the invention is illustrated for dotting a full lapcarried by a lap pin from the lap rolls of a lap producing machine. Lapejector means A include a pair of spaced lap ejector arms, one of whichis positioned to engage each end of the lap pin upon a lap doffingoperation. Means are provided including an air operated cylinder formoving the arms into lap carrying engagement with each end of the lappin when the lap is full. Such means further move the arms to result ina movement of the lap carried thereby away from the lap rolls fasterthan the lap is fed to the lap rolls so as to part the lap. The lapejector means A positions the full lap in lap receiving means B whichincludes a carriage. The means C are provided for moving an empty lappin into :position upon the lap rolls for starting the building of a newlap. The carriage slide means D is provided for moving the carriage Btransversely of the picker placing the full lap carried thereby inposition to be carried to the carding machines. Means E including asweeper, start the lap about the empty lap pin. Upon the new lapreaching a predetermined size the lap stick feed mechanism F moves a newlap stick into the lap pin and returns the carriage B to position toreceive another full lap.

The method of dolfing a full textile lap from the lap rolls of a lapproducing machine in accordance with the -invention includes removingthe lap from the lap rolls faster than the lap is fed to the lap rollsso as to part the lap. Then an empty lap pin is rolled into position tostart a new lap immediately following removal of the full lap from thelap rolls. Then the winding of the lap is started about the empty lappin, and the full lap is placed into lap receiving means.

The picker illustrated in the drawings has a frame 10 in the finishersection of the picker illustrated. A clutch mechanism 12 is illustratedin FIGURE 2 for disconnectingthe driven gear 11 from a gear 13 whichdrives the evener roll 14. The finisher section includes a beater 15 anddisengagement of the clutch 12 stops all means feeding textile fibers Tto the beater 15. The textile stock T is normally advanced through thescreen section 16, the upper screen section being driven by the shaft17. The

stock is then advanced between the upper roll 18 and roll 19 and thencebetween the lower stack rolls 20 and 21.

The fibers T then pass under the idler roll 22a, over the fluted roll22, and onto the lap pin 23, which is carried between the fluted laprolls 22 and 24.

Referring to FIGURE 7, it will be noted that the clutch 25 operates todisengage the pulley 26, which normally drives the screen and calendersections. The screen is driven by the gear 27, which is driven from theshaft 28 through a gear train, a portion of which is broadly designatedat 29. The calender section is driven from the shaft 28, through theshaft 31) and through a gearv train, a portion of which is broadlydesignated at 311a. In FIGURE l the shaft 30 is illustrated as drivingthe gear 31, which A in turn drives a gear train, a portion of which isbroadly designated at 32, for driving the calender rolls 18, 19, 2t) and21. It will be noted that the fluted lap rolls 22 and 24 are driventhrough the chain drive 33 in FIGURE 1, which is driven by the calenderroll 21 through a suitable drive (not shown).

The drawings also illustrate the use of the Long Pneumatic Lap Controlsystem distributed by Livingston & Haven, Inc., Charleston, SouthCarolina, upon which Pet ent No. 2,871,519 has been granted. This systemutilizes the application of immediate and constant equal pressurethrough air cylinders 34 and 35 directly to each end of the lap pin. Thepressure is applied through the rods 34:: and 35a to the head blocks 36and 37, respectively. In addition, pressure is applied to each end ofthe calender rolls through the pneumatic cylinders 38 and 39. In theevent that a choke passes through the calender rolls, the arms 49 willbe raised to actuate the stack roll limit switches 41. Normally, if thestack roll limit switches 41 are depressed, which is the normalcondition upon dofling, the pressure exerted by the air cylinders 34 and35 is released so that the head blocks 36 and 37 are raised for doffing.

During normal manual dotting and in the absence of the present device,the clutch 12 (FIGURE 2) would be disengaged so that the feedingmechanism (evener roll 14) would be disengaged. It will be observedbelow that during dofling when using the device constructed inaccordance with the present invention that normally such feedingmechanism continues to operate.

The arms of the lap ejector means A are in the form of hell cranks whichare carried by a shaft 42, which is suitably mounted in bearings (notshown) for rotation upon the attachment frame a. The shaft 42 extendstransversely of the attachment frame 18a which forms an extension of theframe 10 and which carries the parts associated with the subject device.On the right-hand side of the frame a link 43 (FIGURE 6) is fixedlyconnected on one end to the shaft 42 and a piston rod 44 is pivotallyconnected as at 45 adjacent the free end of the link 43. Thus, thepiston rod 44 is operated by a pneumatic cylinder 46. The bell crankportion 47 base depending arm 48 carried by the end remote from theshaft 42 and the depending arm 48 has a hooked lower portion 48a forengaging the lap pin in lap carrying engagement.

The carriage means B includes a concave carriage portion 49 (FIGURE 1)which includes downturned sides 5 49a and 49b. The carriage assembly Balso includes a right-hand end portion 50 and a left-hand end portion51. The right-hand end portion 50 includes a downwardly inclined portion50a. The means C for positioning a new lap pin upon the fluted lap rolls22 and 24 includes a pair of links 52 and 53 which are pivotallyconnected to the frame as at 52a and 53a (FIGURES l, 6 and 7). The

ends of the links 52 and 53 remote from the pivot points 52a and 53a areprovided with upturned pin receiving portions, 52b and 53b. The pins 54are mounted for vertical sliding motion within blocks 55 such asillustrated at 54 in FIGURE 6. Such blocks 55 have fixed connection withthe frame 10a. It will be observed that when the arms 47 are raised, thelower portion of the pins 54 are contacted by the links'43 to raisesame. The pins 54 have pivotal connection with an intermediate portionof the links 52 and 53 as at 56 (FIGURE 6) and are pivoted upwardly soas to place an empty lap pin 23 upon the inclined surfaces 57. The pin23 then rolls into position between the fluted rolls 22 and 24.

The carriage slide mechanism D includes a trackway 58 (FIGURES 1, 6 and7). A pneumatic cylinder 59 operates the piston rod 60 for moving thecarriage 49 back and forth upon the trackway. It should be pointed outthat when the full lap L is received within-the carriage 49 that thepiston 60 carries the carriage to the left in FIGURE 1. The enlargedhead portion 23a of the lap pin is received beneath the hook member 61and confined therein by the operation of a pin 62, (FIGURE 6), which israised to retain the lap pin 23. Therefore, when the. carriage 49 ismoved to the left in FIGURE 1 the pin 23 will be retained with one endresting beneath the hook 61 upon the inclined surface 63. Since the lapis confined within the carriage 49 by the abutment the pin 23 will beremoved from the lap L when the carriage is fully moved to the positionshown in FIGURE 6. Up-

on the release of the lap pin 23 from the full lap the pin 62 islowered. The lap pin 23 will then roll down the complementary inclinedsurfaces 50a and 63 into pin receiving portions 64 (FIGURE 1) positionedimmediately forwardly of the inclined members 57 and rest upon theupturned portions 52b and 53b (FIGURES 6 and 7).

A sweeper mechanism E is actuated upon the removal of the full lap Lfrom the fluted rolls 22 and 24 and replacement thereof by an empty pin23. The sweeper mechanism E (FIGURE 1) includes a shaft 65 mounted forrotation within bearings 66. The shaft 65 is operated by the. piston 67of the cylinder 68. The shaft 65 has a pair of depending arms 69 whichcarry a transverse bar 70 at the lower ends thereof. Depending leathertab portions 71 are carried by the bar 70 and operate to sweep thebroken end of the lap over the empty lap pin 23 when it is placed uponthe fluted lap rolls 22and 24. 3

A means F is provided for placing the lap rods or lap sticks 72 withinthe empty lap pin 23. It will be observed that a notched portion 73 iscarried by the carriage 49 for receiving the enlarged head portion 72aof the lap stick or rod 72. A lap stick is within the full lap L as thecarriage is moved to the left in FIGURE 1 to remove the lap pin 23'.This results in a lap pin 72 being retained within the full lap L. A newlap pin 72 must be made available to be received within the lap pin.When a roll of sufficient size has been built up upon the new lap pin alap stick will be placed therein. The means F includes a batterymechanism to discharge a new lap stick 72 for this purpose. Such lapstick has a head portion 72a which is placed within a receiving portion74 carried by an arm 75 fixed to the carriage 49.

The battery means F includes a hopper broadly designated at 76 (FIGURES1, 8 and 9), on one end thereof having a space 77 defined between a rearplate 78 and front plate 79 to confine the heads 72a of the lap sticks'72 therein. The lap sticks 72 project through a slot 79a within thefront plate 79. The lowermost one of the heads 72a is carried within aslot 80 within a movable plate 81. The arm 82 is pivotally carried at 83and is moved to the leftin FIGURE 8 due to being struck by the carriagearm 75 to move same against the force of the spring 84. The plate 81 isthus moved to the rear causing the head 72a to be discharged through aslot 85 within the lower plate 86 (FIGURE 9). The other end of the pins72 are held within a slot 87 defined between two plates 87a and 87b(FIGURE 7). The slot has a lower portion 870 which supports the lapsticks 72 in stacked position therein. When the. arm 82 is moved to theleft in FIGURE8, the remote end of the pin 72 is caught Within thecup-like member 88. Later when the carriage means A is moved to theright in FIGURE 7 the lap stick is inserted into the lap pin portion23b.

When such lap pin is full the movements described above will berepeated.

' Automatic operation Referring to FIGURE 10, it will be seen that theturning of the selector switch to they Auto position results in theenergization of a green light G if the stack roll limit switches 41 aredepressed. The solenoid valve C (FIGURES 1 and 11) operates the clutches12 and 25 to maintain the feed. The relay R1 is also energized closingtwo normally open contacts. a

When the reading on yardage counter YC, suitably driven from the screenshaft17 in FIGUREI reaches a predetermined valve, the contacts YC1iclose causing a yellow warning light Y to come on. Contacts YC2 closewhen the yardage counter YC reaches its final count energizing thesolenoid valve H operating cylinders 34 and 35 causing the head blocks36 and 37 to raise and starting the timer T. A

When the head blocks 36 reach the limit switch LSb (FIGUREv 3) thesolenoid valve E is energized operating the cylinder 46 to raise the lapejector arms 47. Al-

, so, the cylinder 68 is operated causing the sweeper E to move forward(FIGURE 4). The lap pin 23 of the lap L when in forward position (FIGURE5) operates the limit switch LSd (FIGURE 6) energizing the solenoidvalve L thus, operating the cylinder 59 causing the lap carriage A tomove 'to the left in FIGURE 1. The limit switch LSd also energizes thesolenoid valve P (FIGURE 6) operating the diaphragm B2 for raising thepin 62. As the carriage reaches its fully extended position, theprojection 590 (FIGURE 7) depresses the limit switch LSe de-energizingsolenoid valve P releasing the diaphragm B2 to lower the pin 62.

As empty the pin 23 rolls into position upon the lap rolls 22 and 24, itdepresses the upwardly spring biased limit switch LSh energizing thesolenoid valve A and the solenoid valve E. The solenoid valve A operatesthe cylinders 34 and 35 for lowering the lap ejector arms and cylinder68 for moving the sweeper to the rear to start the free end around emptypin (FIGURE 5).

As the new lap builds up the pin 23 causes the limit switch LS7 (seeFIGURE 7) to be engaged which energizes the solenoid valve L returningthe lap carriage B to dofling position and the lap stick to the pin 23(FIG- URE 7).

If the lap has not been removed from the carriage A, the limit switchLSg will be engaged turning on the red light Re and starting timer T2.If the lap L has not been removed by the time the timer T2 times out,the solenoid valve C will be de-energized and the clutches 12 and 25will be disengaged.

Pushing the emergency stop button ES (see FIGURE 1) will energize arelay R2 opening its contacts and deenergizing the solenoid valve C todisengage the clutches 12 and 25.

Manual operation By turning the selector switch to the Hand position agreen light G is energized if the stack roll limit switches LSa are inthe depressed position and energizes the solenoid valve C causing airoperated clutches 12 and 25 to engage. If the stack roll limit switchesLSa are not depressed, a red light Rs comes on and the air operatedclutches 12 and 25 will be disengaged by the de-energization of solenoidvalve C.

When the yardage counter YC reaches a predetermined setting a set ofcontacts YC1 will close causing a yellow warning light Y to come on.When the final yardage count is reached a set of contacts YC2 will closeenergizing the solenoid valve H operating the cylinders 34 and 35causing the head blocks 36 and 37 to raise and starting the timer T.

When the head blocks reach the limit switch LSb depressing it, thesolenoid valve C is caused to be de-energized disengaging the airoperated clutches 12 and 25. When the pin 23 is rolled down to engagethe limit switches LSc (seeFIGURE 7) the solenoid valve A is energizedoperating cylinders 34 and 35 causing the head blocks to come back down.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described usingspecific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, andit is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for dofiing a full l-ap carried by a lap pin from the laprolls of a lap producing machine having means feeding said lap to saidlap pin including, a pair of spaced arms one of which is positioned toengage each end of the lap pin upon a lap dofiing operation, meansmoving said arms into lap carrying engagement with each end of the lappin when the lap reaches a predetermined size and further moving saidarms to move the lap carried thereby away from the lap rolls faster thanthe lap is fed to the lap rolls so as to part the lap, said meansfeeding said lap continuously feeding said lap to said lap rolls duringthe above operation, and means moving an empty lap pin into positionupon the lap rolls for starting a new lap. r

,2. An apparatusfor dofiing a full lap carried by a lap pin from thelaprolls of a lap producing machine including, a frame extendingtransversely of the machine, a pair of spaced arms mounted for rotationon the frame, said arms being normally disposed to engage the lap pinfrom behind same, power operated means for rotating said arms forwardly,means actuating the power operated means when the lap reaches apredetermined size, means carried by said arms receiving said lap pin,and said power operated means moving the arms and the lap carriedthereby forwardly at a speed sufficiently in excess of the speed of thelap produced by the machine to part the lap when the arms reach aforward position, said lap being produced and fed to the lap pin withoutdiminution during the above operation.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 including, spaced surfaces carriedby the frame positioned in front of the lap rolls and inclineddownwardly toward the lap rolls, and means moved by the power operatedmeans placing an empty lap pin upon the inclined surfaces for rollingthe new lap pin into position upon removal of the full lap from the laprolls.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 in which the lap pin carries a lapstick including, a carriage receiving the full lap from the arms, meansfixing the lap pin with respect to the frame when the lap is received bythe carriage, means fixing the lap stick with respect to the carriagewhen received thereby, a surface carried by the carriage inclined towardsaid means moved by the power operated means complementary to saidinclined surface carried by the frame, and means moving the carriagetransversely of the frame removing the pin from the lap, and meansreleasing the means fixing the pin, whereby the pin will roll down thesurfaces inclined toward the means moved by the power operated meansinto position thereupon.

5. An apparatus for dofiing a full lap carried by a lap pin from the laprolls of a lap producing machine having a frame and said lap rollshaving a front roll including, a pair of spaced arms each having pivotalconnection adjacent one end thereof, the pivotal connections beingspaced beneath the front roll, said arms normally extending upwardly andrearwardly of said fornt roll into position behind said lap pin toreceive said lap pin adjacent each end thereof when said arms are movedforwardly, support means carried by said arms receiving said lap pin inlap carrying engagement when said arms are moved forwardly, poweroperated means for pivoting said arms about said pivotal connectionsmoving the arms forwardly to receive said lap pin, and means actuatingthe power operated means for moving the arms forwardly when the lapreaches a predetermined size, said arms raising the full lap from thelap rolls thence over the front roll.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, wherein said support meansreceiving said lap pin includes, a depending arm having connectionadjacent its upper end adjacent the upper end of each of said firstmentioned arms, each depending arm being spaced inwardly of itsrespective first mentioned arm, and a hooked portion carried by a lowerportion of each of said depending arms for supporting said lap pinbetween said hooked portions, and wherein said power operated means forpivoting said arms includes a fluid motor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 28,256 5/1860Cheney 24255.1 983,306 2/1911 Owe-n 242--55.l 1,939,198 12/1933 Berry24266 (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTSRamsdell 24255.1 Stein 24255.1

Weinbrenner 24255.1 Fraser 242 54.4 5 Berry et -a1. 24266 Szaloki et-a1. 24281 X Kuenn et a1 24255 .1 Lenz 24281 Kawazur'a et a1. 242551Aaron et a1. 24266 Hombostel 24256 Honnegger 24255.1

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

'MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

W. S. BURDEN, Assistant Examiner.

5. AN APPARATUS FOR DOFFING A FULL LAP CARRIED BY A LAP PIN FROM THE LAPROLLS OF A LAP PRODUCING MACHINE HAVING A FRAME AND SAID LAP ROLLSHAVING A FRONT ROLL INCLUDING, A PAIR OF SPACED ARMS EACH HAVING PIVOTALCONNECTION ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, THE PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS BEINGSPACED BENEATH THE FRONT ROLL, SAID ARMS NORMALLY EXTENDING UPWARDLY ANDREARWARDLY OF SAID FRONT ROLL INTO POSITION BEHIND SAID LAP PIN TORECEIVE SAID LAP PIN ADJACENT EACH END THEREOF WHEN SAID ARMS ARE MOVEDFORWARDLY, SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARMS RECEIVING SAID